Category Archives: Side Dishes

If you are looking for a rich, spicy, comfort food full of bacon, THIS is the dish for you! Mac and cheese made from scratch, full of delicious cheese and bacon-y goodness. With just enough jalapeno to add the perfect kick. Get ready to indulge in a new favorite!

For this recipe you will need:

1 lb macaroni (I used elbow)

10 slices of bacon

1/2 cup white onions, diced

1/2 cup green peppers, diced

1/2 cup red or orange bell pepper, diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced

8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

5 slices of American Cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

Step One:

Preheat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Place bacon strips down on pan, be careful not to get hit with the grease! You want your bacon to be nice and crisp, but not burned. I recommend cooking it for about two minutes on one side, and then flipping it until it reaches desired crisp-ness. (Remember, you will be crumbling this!) Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the grease.

Step Two:

Cook pasta according to box directions. I usually cook my pasta about a minute less than you should to keep that al dente texture. While pasta cooks, crumble the bacon. It should be crisp enough that you can do this with your hands.

Step 3:

Heat reserved bacon grease in a pan, Saute onion, peppers, and jalapeno in grease for 3-5 minutes, just enough to heat them while keeping their crispness.

Step 4:

In a large sauce pan, heat heavy cream until simmering. Add all the cheese slowly, and stir until thoroughly melted. I added the shredded cheese, then once that was melted added the american cheese slices one by one.

Step 5:

Combine pasta, vegetables, and most of the bacon into the cheese sauce. (Keep some of the crumbled bacon to top the meal off). Stir until all pasta is covered in cheese sauce. If you want to add salt and pepper, now would be the time.

Step 6:

Pour entire mixture into an 8X8 glass bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and top mac and cheese with a handful of bread crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes, top with the rest of the crumbled bacon and some fresh cut peppers, and enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Want to see more like this? Leave us a comment, or tweet me @chelseakreiner !